Case Studies

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of America’s Health Rankings. First published in 1990, America’s Health Rankings Annual Report provides the longest running state-by-state analysis of the nation’s health.

Over the past thirty years, the prevalence of obesity has grown by 170 percent in the United States. The significant growth in the prevalence of obesity has encouraged America's Health Rankings to take a special look at how we can better understand and address the challenge of obesity.

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury deaths in the United States1 Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury deaths in the United States. Over 63,900 individuals died from drug overdoses in 2016, an increase of more than 11,500 deaths from 2015. More than six out of 10 drug deaths involve an opioid, primarily prescription pain relievers (morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone) or heroin.

In Focus: Infant Mortality in Ohio Despite significant progress in reducing infant mortality in the United States, more than 23,000 infants died in the United States in 2015. Congenital birth defects and anomalies, low birth weight, preterm birth, and maternal complications account for nearly half of all infant deaths, but several other factors are associated

In Focus: Primary Care Physicians in Nevada Primary care physicians provide direct patient care and counsel patients on the appropriate use of specialists and advanced treatment options. They are often a patient’s first point of contact with the health care system and provide critical preventive care and treatment for chronic disease. Having a sufficient number

In Focus: Reducing cancer deaths in Louisiana Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, with about one in four Americans at risk of dying from cancer.1,2 More than 1.6 million new cases of cancer and nearly 595,000 cancer deaths occur annually, with direct medical costs from cancer totaling over $87 billion

In Focus: Smoking in Maine Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Each year, more than 480,000 people die from cigarette smoking, including nearly 41,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure.1 Approximately 16 million cases of major medical conditions among adults are attributed to smoking – which amounts to nearly 30